Who gets the Earls Court Wooden Spoon(s)

[Twister_Ken]

C'mon guys, it's getting boring around here. Next thing you know, we'll be discussing the differences between different batch numbers of Sikaflex.

So, if you were at E. Court, what did you think deserved a wooden spoon. Oh, and let's exclude the McGregor 26 - we don't want a runaway winner!

Mine -1. Swan 45. What's it for? Racing at Swan weeks. What else? Eeerr, dunno. Time was when Nautor built boats that looked good, went well in a robust, "don't mess with me" sort-of-way and would get you round the world without the varnish flaking. Nowadays them seem to have moved away from their roots (for which Hallberg Rassy, Najad, Malo etc are undoubtedly extremely grateful) and to be building boats like the new 45 which hasn't got a gramme of seakindliness in its hull shape or appendages.

2. All of the so-called electronics expert retailers, none of whom knew enough to tell me categorically which h/held VHF was waterproof and could run on AA batteries, as well as its rechargeable battery pack.

 

[billmacfarlane]

I take your point abour the Swan 45. Yachting World did a review of it last month and the reviewer who was clearly a Swan fan and I think starstruck beyond the point of objectivity , couldn't criticise the boat as a cruiser. Try though I might all I can see when I look at it is RACER , designed to pick up Rolex's on the circuit , the irony being anyone who buys one can afford to buy their own Rolex's. My wooden spoons are as follows:
1. The interior of the large Southerly that was in the pool. Nice looking from the outside but the interior must have been designed by Stevie Wonder Interiors. I seemed to spend all my time in her going up and down steps. There was a seat , presumably designed as a sea berth facing a bulkhead. One of the berths in the visitors cabin disappeared into a bulkhead. Getting into it would be like trying to get toothpaste back into into a tube. In the sterncabin there was a door to a loo. Off the loo there was another small cabin. Thinking it was the shower cubicle , I looked in vain for the shower head . Nothing - just a bare empty space with fibreglass showing through the paint on the walls. The whole interior had an air of " Right we've designed this lovely hull , er , any ideas what we do next ? "
2. The gentleman on the Furuno stand who didn't know that his own company's Navtex product didn't have dual frequency working with one aerial. I had to tell him the set up. I'm hardly a genius , I read it off his company's fact sheet at the stand.

 

[steve_cronin]

Well this is a bit obscure but....

How about the guy upstairs selling obviously used Rutgerson Deck Hatches.

If you have bought a new Bavaria in the last 12 months you will know that every one had leaking Rutgerson hatches. My boat needed eight replacing and even the replacements leaked. They have now been exchanged for Gebos.

Wondered where all the rejects went!

Steve Cronin

 

[bedouin]

I rest my case (nm)

.

 

[david_e]

The Cruising Association stand.

 

[JeremyF]

Said it earlier, but for me it was the folk on the Hanse stand that won the spoon for me. No idea about the product, no idea how to screen serious interest from the tyrekickers, and then told off for opening a locker. (BTW did anyone else notice the severe lack of sensible cockpit stowage - a thin, deep lazarette and a suitcase-sized locker)

Great disappointment, as I had been hoping that the 341, and its agents might be a serious competitor to Ben/Bav/Jen.

Reminded me a bit of a Skoda car and dealer before VW bought them.

 

[ParaHandy]

Cruising Assoc

Second that! Bluidy awful.

 

[zefender]

Wauquiez. Salesman seemed to have a nasty smell up his nose the whole time. Eventually bothered to ask if I have a boat (I have) just to see if I was worth asking any other question. Became even more sniffy (and somewhat apoplectic) when I asked whether the boat had changed much since becoming part of Beneteau. Odd bloke, odd boat.

 

[tony_brighton]

Re: Cruising Assoc

care to expand on a reason why?

 

[robp]

Funny isn't it? One man's boat and all that.. I know it's not the subject of this thread but I loved the Wauquiez 40. (Or as one owner apparently calls his, Wakkies). Although part of Beneteau group, they only make 50 per year up near Lille. Beautifully finished I thought. How do they sail, anyone know?

Went to the show twice and didn't find much to complain about. All was sweetness and light. I must be slipping.. Spent most of my time trying to drag 8 year old son away from the Oyster stand.

 

[AndrewB]

Re: Cruising Assoc

Something to do with staffing on Friday?

No, never, shame on you!

 

[cynthia]

Jeanneau

Some friends of ours, having ordered a boat which should be delivered this month, went to the Jen. stand to ask for details of their own speck. No-one wanted to know. Seems they were only interested in new orders, not existing ones!

 

[Gerry]

The Island Packet, thought I'd stumbled on a Hoseasons river boat until I realised it had a mast. Loved the fact that the salesman indicated that the aft heads doubled as a wet locker despite there being nowhere to store oilies, boots ets without sacrificing the loo, shower and hand basin!!!

 

[Guest]

Spectra Watermaker stand. Reluctant man didn't know, didn't care and didn't want my £3000.00, but got fantanstic advice at many other stands, we were buying the bluewater bits for the boat, best buy- the £175.00 Iridium phone.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Forgot Elan

The big one (40 or maybe 45) had a wheel so huge that you had to do a sort of vertical limbo to get past it. And when you had, you stepped on the mainsheet track. Imagine that, wind over tide in the Needles channel. Plus, the wheel was too big to clear the cockpit floor, so it runs in a groove across the floor. Cleverer still, there's no drain in the groove. Should make sure the elk hide cover stays nice and cold and wet and slimy. Otherwise quite liked it . Especially it wasn't so extremely beamy and fat arsed as most of the other boats of that size.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Re: Cruising Assoc

'scuse me, I was manning the stand on Friday morning!!!

But I probably did spend too long nattering to people about what they sailed and where, and less time than I should have done on extolling the undoubted virtues of the CA.

And to think I was nice to Lynette!

 

[david_e]

Re: Cruising Assoc

Looks like the penny has finally dropped!

 

[zefender]

Re: Wacky Wauquiez?

My post was a bit harsh (on the boat, not the salesman). There were bits of it I liked a lot and bits of it were indeed well finished. But then, turn a corner and you see a whole different 'look'. I couldn't help feeling that it was like a nice house, ruined a bit by nasty single storey extensions and/or tad tacky conservatory. I liked the saloon (but worry a bit about the strength of the windows) and the transom arrangement was very smart and practical. The heads and berths looked a bit iffy though.

On the sailing bit, I'm with you and have no idea though. At c170K, it seemed expensive for what it is - but it is at least a little different from the mass.

 

[AndrewB]

You were being \"Nice to Lynette\", eh?

The self-confessed middle-aged YM bimbo? No wonder the CA stand was suffering on Friday.

I didn't see anything in her posting about this. How could she so spurn your affection? It all becomes clear why you've been in a foul mood lately!

 

[steve_cronin]

How\'s that then?

You don't blame Fiat just because your Toppolino does pirrouettes in the rain on it's Pirrellis do you?

Steve Cronin

(well, Stephen Charles Coultsman- O'Cronin actually but I try to stay anonymous!)